Spectral super-resolution in colored coded aperture spectral imaging

Abstract

Colored coded apertures have been recently introduced in compressive spectral imaging as a method to improve the quality of image reconstructions in terms of signal to noise ratio. This paper shows that colored coded apertures, in addition, can also provide a higher number of resolvable spectral bands. Colored coded apertures with real and ideal spectral responses are both considered. The maximum number of resolvable bands for the case of nonideal filters is estimated using the coherence of the sensing matrix which provides a condition that depends only on the characteristics of the optical filters involved in the colored coded aperture. Simulations and testbed experimental reconstructions with real data are presented.